Container for storage and disposal of potentially injurious implements such as used scalpel blades, hypodermic needles and the like

ABSTRACT

A container for and medical implements comprises a plurality of wall panels to form an enclosure. The container includes a top closure hingedly joined along a top edge of a wall panel. The top closure includes a distal edge projecting into the hollow interior of the enclosure. The width of the top closure is greater than the width of the corresponding enclosure opening to form a trough-like receiving chamber for initially receiving implements to be stored in. The implements can simply be released into the trough-like receiving chamber and thence cause to drop into the hollow interior by pushing down the top closure.

This is a continuation of co-pending application Ser. No. 513,616, filedon July 14, 1983.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to receptacles, containers andthe like, and, more particularly, to containers for safely handlingpotentially injurious or contaminated implements such as used scalpelblades, hypodermic needles and like devices which pose a risk of causinginfection or even disease if an open wound is created by or exposed tosuch implement.

With the advent of disposable surgical tools, hypodermic needles,scalpel blades and other sharp implements, a need has developed for areceptacle to store such devices after use without risk of exposingpeople to injury, infection or disease by improper handling, untilproper disposal can be made. In fact, the very recent outbreak of thehighly contagious AIDS disease has dramatically highlighted the need fora safe way of handling the storage and disposal of such implements.

In the case of disposable hypodermic needles, it is common practice tobreak or cut the needles prior to discarding in order to reduce the sizeof the needle/syringe as well as eliminate the sharp point from theneedle for reducing the risk of injury from improper handling. Usually,a special tool is used to cut off the needle points and store them in anattached container. In breaking or cutting the needles, however, thereis a risk of accidental puncture during the breaking or cuttingoperation, thus exposing the holder to possible injury and, further, topossible infection or disease. In addition, any residual medication inthe needle is susceptable to splattering onto the person or his clothesand there is a danger that potentially harmful fumes could be inhaled.Furthermore, inasmuch as the blades of the cutting tool are seldom, ifever, changed, they become a breeding ground for germs, bacteria andother disease-causing micro-organisms to which the unsuspecting cutteris unnecessarily exposed.

Several proposals have been advanced for avoiding the foregoing dangers.However, although these proposals may eliminate some of the risksinvolved in the handling and storage of hypodermic needles and the like,they generally do not overcome all of the dangers and often are thesource of other problems. For example, at least one manufacturersuggests using the empty shipping containers used for shipping its freshdisposable needles to store and dispose of the needles after use.Although these containers can hold spent needles, they do not provideany margin of safety against the risk of injury from the fully exposedneedles because these containers are only intended to safely hold newneedles which are already contained in blister-style packaging thatinherently protects against injury by the sharp needle points. Inaddition, because the shipping containers must be large enough to holdnew needles and their protective packaging, these containers are largerthan needed for storing the used needles and, as a result, are too bulkyto fit conveniently on, for example, service carts used in hospitals andlike institutions where the concern for storage and disposal of needlesis the greatest. Also, since the needles are simply dropped into thebox, the sharp needle points become oriented haphazardly in alldirections so as to increase the risk of injuring a person and hinderefficient or compact packing of the implements.

A few specially designed containers have been proposed for handling usedneedles. Known presently available containers include the "SAN-I-PAK"sold by Med-Safe Systems, Inc. of Leucadia, Calif., a cylindricalcontainer sold by Sage Products of Cary, Ill., a cardboard box soldunder the designation "HYPO-HOPPER" sold by the Porex Medical Divisionof Glasrock Medical Services of Fairburn, Ga. and another cardboard boxsold as catalog number 5684 by Becton-Dickenson of Rutherford, N.J.

Although the specially designed devices provide adequate results undercertain circumstances, they do suffer certain disadvantages. Forexample, the Med-Safe and Sage devices, being are molded from plastic,can be relatively expensive. Similarly, the Porex device, although madeof corrugated paper, has a relatively complicated baffle/lock mechanismwhich can add to the cost of fabrication and assembly. In addition, bothcardboard devices generally have single layer side walls and directlyabutting double walled bottoms which do not provide any added margin ofsafety against possible punctures especially if the bottom becomes wet.Furthermore, in all the containers, either the entire syringe/needle orthe syringe with a part of the needle is simply dropped into thecontainers, thus creasing a hap-hazard distribution of needles in thecontainer which can result in an inefficiently filled container andpossible injury to a user.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a newand improved container for storage and/or disposal of hypodermicneedles, scalpels and other sharp or pointed implements which pose adanger of injury or puncture (hereinafter referred to simply as"potentially injurious implements"). It is another object of the presentinvention to provide a new and improved container structure for storingpotentially injurious implements, which can be fabricated relativelyinexpensively yet is sturdy and resistant to puncture by the implementsretained therein.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a new andimproved container structure for storing potentially injuriousimplements, which can be fabricated from a single sheet of relativelyinexpensive material such as corrugated paper, cardboard, stiffenedpaper and the like. It is a further object of the invention to providesuch a container structure which can be shipped and stored in asubstantially flat unassembled configuration, yet can be assembled withrelative ease and without requiring any bonding or fastening means tocomplete assembly.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a new andimproved container for potentially injurious implements, which isadapted to receive all the implements in a compact side-by-sidehorizontal configuration for maximum storage capacity. It is also anobject of the invention to provide such a container which furtherincludes a biased door adapted to prevent any implements from fallingout once stored therein. In addition, it is an object of the inventionto provide such a container which can be permanently sealed for finaldisposal.

It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a new andimproved container for storing potentially injurious implements, whichis compact for convenient mounting to a service cart or other device formoving medical treatment supplies.

The foregoing specific objects and advantages of the invention areillustrative of those which can be achieved by the present invention andare not intended to be exhaustive of the possible advantages which canbe realized. Thus, these and other objects and advantages of theinvention will be apparent from the description herein or can be learnedfrom practicing the invention, both as embodied herein or as modified inview of any variations which may be apparent to those skilled in theart. Accordingly, the present invention resides in the novel parts,constructions, arrangements, combinations and improvements herein shownand described.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention includes a container for handling used hypodermicneedles, scalpels and like potentially injurious implements as well as asheet-like blank for forming such a container. Briefly described, thecontainer according to the present invention includes a box-like memberhaving front and back wall panels spaced apart by a pair of oppositelydisposed side wall panels which are adapted to adjoin opposite edges ofthe front and back walls. A bottom wall assembly joined at the bottomedge of one of the wall panels is adapted to close the bottom of thebox-like member at the bottom edges of the remaining wall panels to forma closed-bottom container having a generally hollow interior to receivediscarded implements. A top closure panel is hingedly joined at the topedge of one of the wall panels and is adapted to be folded into thehollow container interior to form a "trap door" closure of the top ofthe container. As preferably embodied, the top panel and the bottom wallassembly are joined to either the front panel or the back panel.

Advantageously, the top closure panel is adapted to extend angularlyinwardly into the hollow interior of the container to form a trough-likereceiving chamber for initially receiving implements to be stored in thecontainer. In addition, the top panel advantageously is wider than thedepth of the box-like member and is biased in the upward direction sothat once pushed into the interior chamber, it automatically returns toits original position to close off the top of the container by abuttingthe wall panel opposite its hinged connection. An implement can thus besimply released into the trough-like receiving chamber and thence causedto drop into the hollow interior of said container by pushing down onthe top closure panel so that the implement simply falls into thecontainer by its own weight without requiring any further handling by aperson.

Also as preferably embodied, the bottom wall comprises a double-walledassembly made up of a pair of spaced-apart wall members to help preventa sharp point or implement from penetrating or puncturing through thebottom wall and risk injuring a person. Advantageously, the box-likemember includes a second top panel which can serve as a support forsuspending the box-like member to use, if desired, and can serve as anextra closure member for sealing the box-like member once it is filled.

The container structure according to the present invention is preferablymade, and can be made, from a sheet of corrugated paper, cardboard orstiffened paper or the like.

It will be readily apparent from the foregoing general description, aswell as the following detailed description, that the objects andadvantages specifically enumerated herein are achieved by the inventionas embodied herein. For example, by providing the enlarged-width toppanel member which is hingedly joined to the box-like structure andself-biased to rest adjacent the opposite wall panel, the container iscompletely closed during use to prevent any inadvertant injury yet itremains available to receive more discarded implements. In addition, thebiased top panel provides a "trap door" which, as part of thetrough-like receiving chamber, minimizes the amount of potentiallyinjurious contact a person must have the the implements when disposingof them.

By utilizing the spaced double-walled bottom wall assembly, thecontainer provides a significant margin of safety against thepossibility that a sharp point or edge might puncture through the bottomwall and be exposed for possibly injuring a person as well as providingprotection even though the bottom-most panel becomes wet. In addition,since, as described in detail below, the bottom wall assembly can befriction fit within the bottom of the box-like member, bottom tabs canbe provided on the bottom edges of the side wall panels for folding intothe interior to enhance the friction fit and also provide at least apartial second side wall panel on each side of the container to protectagainst any similar puncture through the side walls of the container.

Because the container can be fabricated from a single sheet of material,it can be economically fabricated and, once the wall panels are fullyjoined together, the container can be shipped in a flattened condition(i.e., with the front wall panel and one side wall panel doubled overthe back wall panel and the other side wall panel) and fully assembledat the site of end use without requiring any tape, staples, glue orother fastening or bonding means.

It will also be found that the arrangment of the hinged top closurepanel according to the invention prevents any implements from fallingout if the container is accidentally inverted. In fact, the weight ofthe implement against the top panel actually enhance the closureprovided by the top panel, thus making the container "dump proof."

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the foregoingbrief description and the following detailed description are exemplaryand explanatory of the invention but are not intended to be restrictionsthereof. Thus, the accompanying drawings, referred to herein andconstituting a part hereof, illustrate preferred embodiments of theinvention and, together with the detailed description, serve to explainthe principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of an embodiment of a container according tothe present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along section lines 2--2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along section lines 3--3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a sheet-like blank for making a containeraccording to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a side view, with partial cut-away, of the top portion of acontainer according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to that shown in FIG. 5 showing the additionaltop closure panel sealed over the top of the container.

FIG. 7 is an isometric view of the bottom wall assembly of a containeraccording to the present invention, showing the assembly thereof.

FIG. 8 is a cut-away view taken at a corner of the bottom of thecontainer according to the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a view of an exemplary cart showing how the containeraccording to the present invention can be conveniently and compactlysupported from the cart.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Turning now to the drawings wherein like reference characters refer tolike parts throughout the various views, there is shown a container(indicated generally at 10) according to the present invention as wellas a cut and scored sheet-like blank for making a container according tothe present invention.

Referring more particularly to FIGS. 1-3, there are shown various viewsof container 10 according to the present invention. As here embodied,container 10 includes a front wall panel 12, a back wall panel 14 and apair of oppositely disposed side wall panels, 16 and 18 (18 is notvisible in FIG. 1), which maintain the front and back wall panels inspaced apart relation. Bottom wall assembly 20 (preferably adouble-walled member as explained in greater detail below) seals off thebottom of container 10 to form an hollow interior chamber for discardedimplements.

Container 10 is particularly adapted to receive and safely store suchpotentially injurious implements as used hypodermic needle assemblies(i.e., the needle and syringe), scalpel blades and like sharp deviceswhich require special care in handling because of not only the risk thatthe implement may puncture or otherwise injure a person but also theconcern that the implement can cause infection or disease because ofbacteria, germs or other contaminants it may contain. To this end, thetop of container 10 is preferably formed with closure means which can bereadily opened for receiving the implement to be discarded, yet willkeep the opening closed at all other times to prevent any implementstherein from falling out.

As here embodied, flap-like top closure panel 22 is hingedly joined tothe top edge of front wall 12 and is adapted to extend angularly intothe open box chamber. Advantageously, the width of panel 22 (i.e., thedistance from its hinged connection with panel 12 to its inward free endedge, or distal edge) is greater than the corresponding depth of thecontainer (i.e., the distance between the front and back wall panels) sothat its inward, or distal, edge is forced to reside within the interiorchamber of container 10 at an angle with respect to the top edges of thewall panels. In this way, panel 22 forms a sloped entry guideway to theinterior chamber for ensuring that the implements uniformly enter thecontainer in the proper horizontal orientation for storage inside-by-side relation. In addition, panel 22 provides a barrier forpreventing implements from falling out of the container once they aredeposited therein. Advantageously, the hinged joinder of panel 22 withthe top edge of front panel 12 is self-biased so that the distal edge ofpanel 22 is constantly urged upwardly to maintain closure of thecontainer. It will thus be understood that the material making up thehinged connection should be generally resilient (or could be reinforcedwith a piece of tape preferably applied before panel 22 is folded intothe container) to withstand repeated opening and closing.

Also advantageously, back wall panel 14 includes an upstanding panel(indicated at 14a) which projects beyond the top edges of the othercontainer walls. Upstanding panel 14a provides both a support means forsuspending the container, if desired, from any convenient location, aswell as an additional closure member for sealing the container once itis filled. The latter can be carried out simply by folding panel 14adown onto the top edges of the other wall panels and securing it in aclosed configuration as by placing tape segments 24 over panels 14a and12, as shown in FIG. 6.

Turning now to FIG. 4, there is shown another aspect of the presentinvention which serves to illustrate the ease with which container 10can be fabricated and assembled as well as provide a betterunderstanding of the operation of container 10 when assembled. As shownin FIG. 4, container 10 is advantageously fabricated by appropriatelyscoring and die-cutting a single sheet of material such as a sheet ofcorrugated paper (which is considered to be preferred because of its lowcost and because of the common use made of such material for boxes,containers, etc.), cardboard, stiffened paper or even certain plastics.Where corrugated paper is used, B-flute grade is preferred. Corrugatedplastic may be preferred when the container is to be used near sinks orin other applications where it will be exposed to water or otherliquids.

As here embodied, the sheet (indicated generally at 30) used to formcontainer 10 is very generally L-shaped in appearance, with the shortleg adapted to form the bottom wall assembly of container 10 and thelong leg adapted to form the various wall panels and top panels of thecontainer. In order to form the main wall panels, blank 30 is foldedabout 90° along a first score line 32 (which extends perpendicular towhat become the top and bottom edges of the assembled container) to formfront panel 12. The blank is then folded another 90° along a secondscore line 34 to form one sidewall (here indicated at 16), and it isagain folded by 90° along a third score line 36 to form back wall panel14 and the remaining side wall 18. When so folded, the free edges ofwalls 18 and 12 will abut each other along their entire lengths to forma corner of the container, and can be joined together by tape (notshown) or any other suitable attachment means. Alternatively, anoverlapping side wall panel (indicated in phantom at 16') can be formedalong the free edge of front panel 12 by folding the blank along anotherscore line (indicated in phantom at 32'). Panel 16' is simply overlappedonto panel 16, and the two panels are joined together by gluing orotherwise securing them together in any conventional manner. In eitherform attachment of the wall panels to complete formation of the box-likemember can thus be simply and easily accomplished by conventionaljoinder means which allows the container to be shipped in a collapsedbut easily assemblable configuration at the end use site for minimizingthe volume occupied by unassembled containers.

Closure panel 22 is provided by a portion of the blank formed along whatbecomes the top edge of the assembled container and is formed by foldingthe blank along score line 38 which is essentially coincident with thetop edge of the front wall panel. As is best seen in FIG. 4, closurepanel 22 tapers towards its free end, with a step-like indentation(indicated at 22a) to facilitate fitting within the slots formed in thetop tabs (42a and 42b) as will be explained in further detial below.Since the width (W₁) of closure panel 22 is greater than the width (W₂)of side panels 16 and 18, panel 22 is advantageously scored at about itsmidsection, as indicated at 40 (preferably to fold upwardly), to permitit to be folded in order to facilitate insertion, during assembly, intothe open chamber of container 10. Panel 22 will thus retain virtuallyall of its structural integrity to provide the closure function asdescribed above, yet can be easily inserted into the box during assemblywithout damage.

Both side panels 16 and 18 are formed with identical, but reversed, tabmembers (indicated at 42a and 42b) which are delineated from the sidewall panels by score lines 44 to act as guides for the opening andclosing action of closure panel 22. To this end, each tab 42a and 42b isformed with a cut-out or notch (indicated at 43) which forms a stop edge(43a) and a clearance edge (43b) that intersect at an angle of about 75°to about 90° with respect to each other. It will be understood that stopedges 43a define the upward limit of travel for closure panel 22 andshould advantageously be proportioned so that the distal edge of panel22 is at least closely adjacent, or abuts, panel 14 when panel 22 restsagainst stop edges 43a. Advantageously, each stop edge 43a shouldpreferably form an angle of about 20° to about 60° (preferably 22.5° butup to about 45°) with respect to its adjacent score lines 44 to permitsufficient slant on panel 22 to ensure that implements dropped into theopening will fall to the most recessed portion of the trough formedbetween panels 22 and 14, so as to be distant from a user's fingers whenthe panel is pushed inwardly for dropping the implement into thecontainer 10.

It will also be understood that the length of stop edges 43a should beno less than (and, preferably, slightly longer than) the length of thetapered edges of panel 22 between score line 38 and step 22a to ensurethat the panel is free to open and close without interference by thetabs 42a and 42b. It will also be understood that since tabs 42a and 42bwill tend to turn upwardly, they close any gap which otherwise mightexist between the side edges of panel 22 and the side wall panels 16 and18, (as is evident from FIG. 1) for, e.g., containing fumes, moistureand particles within the container.

It will further be understood that tapered side edges of panel 22facilitate its swinging movement over side tabs 42a and 42b. Inaddition, indentation 22a serves to recess the innermost portion of theside edges of panel 22 that actually slide over the tabs so as to reducethe friction generated by the movement of panel 22.

Tabs 42a and 42b may advantageously be formed from a relativelyelongated panel member (not numbered) which is an extension of the sidewall panels and back wall panel 14 of blank 30. The remaining centerportion can thus be used to form additional top closure panel 14a. Tothis end, tabs 42a and 42b are separated from panel 14a by cut lines 46aand 46b, while panel 14a is delineated from back wall panel 14 by scoreline 48. Advantageously, each cut line 46a and 46b has a shortoffsetting segment (both indicated at 47) to form a protruding portionon each end of closure panel 14a which extends slightly beyond the twoside panels to ensure that the container top is completely closed whenthe additional top panel 14a is closed down over the top edges of thecontainer.

The bottom edge of each side wall panel may also be formed with a tab(indicated at 50a and 50b) which is delineated by a score line, eachindicated at 52. Bottom tabs 50a and 50b are useful in securing thebottom wall assembly when container 10 is fully assembled, as will bedescribed more fully hereinafter. Advantageously, tabs 50a and 50b maybe somewhat elongated (as indicated in phantom in FIG. 3) so that whenfolded into the interior chamber of container 10, they form a doublewall along most of the side wall panels 16 and 18 for adding a margin ofprotection against a puncture through a side wall.

As shown in FIG. 4, the blank for the bottom wall assembly is formed asthe short leg of the L-shaped blank along the bottom edge of back wall14. However, it will be understood that the bottom wall assembly couldbe formed along the bottom edge of front wall 12.

The bottom wall assembly includes bottom panel member 54 joined to andextending beyond what becomes the bottom edge of back wall panel 14.Panel 54 is delineated by score line 56 which is generally coincidentwith the bottom edge and by cut lines 58a and 58b which separate it fromthe two side wall tabs 52. Cut lines 58a and 58b may have offset cutsegments (not shown) similar to offset cuts 47 so that the side edges ofbottom panel 54 will overlap the bottom edges of side wall panels 16 and18 to ensure complete closure of the bottom of the container inessentially the same manner as was described above with respect toadditional top panel 14a.

Extending beyond bottom panel 54 is a first spacer panel 60 which isdelineated from panel 54 by score line 62. Score 62 is separated fromscore 56 by a distance equal to the width (W₂) of side walls 16 and 18to ensure a snug fit of the bottom wall along the bottom edges of thecontainer. Extending still beyond first spacer panel 60 is interiorbottom panel 66 which is delineated by score line 64, and, beyond that,a second spacer panel 68 which is delineated by score line 70. The twointermediate panels 68 and 60 are proportioned so as to provide uniformspacing between panels 54 and 66.

A locking tongue 72 may also formed along the bottom edge of front panel12 with a projecting tab 72a at its end, for insertion into slot 74which is formed in and is generally coincident with a portion of scoreline 62. Tongue 72 provides additional locking to securely hold thebottom wall assembly to the container.

Once the basic box-like structure is established as described above, thetop and bottom closure assemblies can be assembled. Turning first to thebottom assembly, tabs 50a and 50b are folded into the interior of thecontainer (The small triangular tabs thereon provide a friction fit tokeep tabs 50 adjacent the side walls.). As illustrated in FIG. 7, thebottom assembly is then "rolled up" by folding panel 68 along score 70so as to be perpendicular to panel 66 which in turn is folded aboutscore line 64 to be oriented perpendicular to intermediate panel 60.Panel 60 is similarly folded about score 62 to become perpendicular tobottom panel 54 (against which the free edge of panel 68 abuts) to formthe double-walled bottom assembly which has a generally rectangularcross-section. The folded bottom assembly is then inserted into thecontainer by folding it about score line 56, until the bottom panel 54is generally flush with the bottom edges of the container walls.

As the bottom wall assembly is being inserted into the interiorcontainer chamber, tab 72a of tongue 72 is inserted into slot 74 to helplock the bottom wall assembly in place in the container. (The front wallmay have to be temporarily pulled away from the back wall in order topermit insertion of tongue 72.) To further ensure that the bottomassembly is well secured in the container, panel 66 may be proportionedso that it is at least as wide as or slightly wider than (as indicatedby the dotted lines in FIG. 4) the width of the front and back walls.Thus, when the bottom wall assembly is inserted into the container, atight friction fit will be formed between the side edges of panel 66 andthe side wall tabs 50a and 50b, as shown in FIG. 8. Where panel 66 iswider than the container width, the projecting edges will tend to folddown inside the container to enhance the friction fit.

In order to assemble the top closure assembly, closure panel 22 isfolded into the container along score line 38. As the panel 22 is forcedinto the container, it will be bent along score line 40 to permit, asindicated above, the panel to swing fully into the container interior.Tabs 42a and 42b are then folded into the container along their adjacentscore lines 44 until each tab snaps behind the side edges of the firsttapered edge segments (i.e., the edge portions between score 38 andoffset 22a).

Referring then to FIG. 5, operation of the container according to theinvention will be readily appreciated. When one wishes to dispose of animplement, such as the needle and syringe assembly shown in FIG. 5, theneedle/syringe is simply dropped onto the downwardly sloping top panel22, and it will come to rest in the trough formed along the inward ordistal edge of panel 22 where it resides adjacent back wall panel 14.Panel 22 is then simply squeezed down toward front wall 12 (as indicatedby arrow 78), causing the needle/syringe to drop automatically into theinterior of container 10 without requiring any further handling. Thus,once the disposable implement is placed in the top trough, the risk ofany injury is virtually eliminated because no further handling of theimplement is required. After the squeezing pressure is released, panel22 will resiliently return to its original closed configuration, readyto receive the next discarded implement.

It will be understood that by simply folding panel 22 into the containeruntil it clears stop edges 43a, a residual spring or biasing action iscreated in the hinge, causing the panel to return to its originalunstressed position. Thus, closure panel 22 will automatically springback to its closed position adjacent stop edges 43a after being openedto maintain closure of the container.

Once the container is filled, additional top panel 14a can be simplyfolded down over the top edges of the walls and secured in the closedconfiguration by, e.g., tape segments 24, as shown in FIG. 6, to form adouble closure barrier. The used implements are thus safely sealedwithin the container for ultimate disposal (as by incineration). Thedouble walled top and bottom assemblies, together with the double walledside walls (if elongated tabs 50a and 50b are used), provide extramargins of safety to prevent any implements from puncturing completelythrough any wall as well as prevent leakage of any residual medicationor other liquids that may have collected on the used implements. Allthis accomplished in an easy-to-fabricate structure which can be madefrom a single blank of material that can be shipped in a flattenedconfiguration and assembled without any tape, glue or other fastener.

Advantageously, the wall panels of container 10 are dimensioned so thatthe assembled container is about 20 inches tall, about 10 inches wideand about 3 inches deep. Depending on the angle at which panel 22 is toreside, the panel may be, e.g., 4 inches wide (at an angle of about 45°)or 3.5 inches wide (at an angle of about 22.5°). It will be understoodthat container 10 can conveniently and compactly accommodate virtuallyany size needle/syringe, even the large 30 cc. and 50 cc. sizes used inemergency rooms, coronary care units and intensive care units. At thesame time, the container is adapted to fit conveniently on rollingservice carts (as indicated in FIG. 9) while occupying a minimum ofvaluable space. In addition, because of the elongated "trap door"structure, the implements will naturally fall into the container inside-by-side relation so as to maximize the number of discardedimplements which can be stored in the container.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the presentinvention in its broader aspects is not limited to the particularembodiments shown and described herein, and that variations may be madewhich are within the scope of the accompanying claims without departingfrom the principle of the invention and without sacrificing its chiefadvantages.

What is claimed is:
 1. A container for safely storing potentiallyinjurious implements such as scalpel blades, hypodermic needles, etc.,comprising a front wall panel, a back wall panel and a pair of side wallpanels adjoining said front and back panels when assembled to form abox-like enclosure, a bottom wall member joined to one of said wallpanels along a bottom edge thereof and residing substantially adjacentthe remaining wall panels generally at their bottom edges to form aclosed-bottom container having a generally hollow interior for receivingimplements to be stored, and a single door-like top closure panelhingedly joined along one edge to a top edge of one of said wall panels,said top closure panel having its distal edge projecting into the hollowinterior of said container to permit access into said container forimplements to be stored therein, the width of said top closure panelbetween its hinged joinder to a wall panel and its distal edge being atleast slightly greater than the corresponding depth between the wallpanel to which said top closure panel is attached and its opposite wallpanel, with said top closure panel extending angularly inwardly into thehollow interior of said container and its said distal edge residingsubstantially adjacent the wall panel opposite the wall panel to whichsaid top panel is attached to form a trough-like receiving chamber forinitially receiving implements to be stored in said container, saidcontainer also having a top tab member joined to a top edge portion ofeach of the two remaining wall panels, each said top tab memberextending into said container and residing essentially adjacent a sideedge of said top closure panel to help substantially close the top ofsaid container adjacent said top closure panel and said containerincluding means for resiliently biasing said top closure panel generallyupwardly to urge its said distal edge against said opposite wall panel,such that when disposal of an implement is desired, the implement cansimply be released into the trough-like receiving chamber and thencecaused to drop into the hollow interior of said container by pushingdown on said top closure panel whereafter the implement simply fallsinto the container by its own weight without requiring any furtherhandling by a person after the implement is released into thetrough-like chamber and the top closure panel is urged closed toreestablish said trough-like chamber for receiving another implement fordisposal.
 2. A container according to claim 1, wherein the hingedjoinder of said top closure panel is adapted to bias said top closurepanel upwardly in self-biasing fashion, and wherein said top closurepanel is joined to one of said front wall and back wall panels and saidtop tab members are joined to said side wall panels, such that said topclosure panel extends at an acute angle into the interior of saidcontainer and the distal edge of said top closure panel resides closelyadjacent the other of said front and back wall panels.
 3. A containeraccording to claim 2, wherein said top tab members act as guide meansfor swinging travel of said top closure panel and to help substantiallyclose the top of said container.
 4. A container according to claim 1, 2or 3, wherein said bottom wall member is joined along one of said frontand back wall panels and is adapted to form a double walled bottomclosure assembly having its wall panels spaced apart.
 5. A containeraccording to claim 4, wherein said bottom closure assembly includes:abottom wall panel joined to one of said front and back wall panels alonga first fold line coinciding generally with the bottom edge of said onewall panel, a first spacer panel joined to said bottom wall panel, witha second fold line separating said bottom wall panel and said firstspacer panel, the distance between said first and second fold linesbeing generally equal to the width of said container, an interior bottompanel joined to said first spacer panel, with a third fold lineseparating said interior bottom panel from said first spacer panel, saidinterior bottom panel being of approximately the same width as saidbottom wall panel, and a second spacer panel joined to said interiorbottom panel, with a fourth fold line separating said interior bottompanel from said second spacer panel, said second spacer panel being ofapproximately the same width as said first spacer panel, such that whenadjacent panels of said bottom wall assembly are folded by about 90degrees, said interior bottom panel and said bottom wall panel aregenerally parallel.
 6. A container according to claim 5, which furtherincludes a tongue-like member formed at the bottom of the panel oppositethat to which said bottom wall panel is joined, said tongue-like memberincluding a locking tab portion, and wherein said bottom closureassembly includes a slot formed generally along a portion of said secondfold line so as to receive said locking tab member for helping lock saidbottom closure assembly in place.
 7. A container according to claim 6,wherein at least one of said bottom wall panel and said interior bottompanel is slightly longer than the width of said container in order toform a tight friction fit at the bottom edges of said front, back andside wall panels.
 8. A container according to claim 7, which furtherincludes a bottom tab member joined at the bottom edge of each side wallpanel, said bottom tab members being adapted to be folded into theinterior of said container so as to extend generally parallel to saidside wall panels to engage said interior bottom panel to ensure a securefriction fit.
 9. A container according to claim 8, wherein said bottomtab members extend a substantial distance parallel to said side wallpanels to provide a double side wall over said distance.
 10. A containeraccording to claim 1, 2 or 3, which further includes a second top panelextending from the top edge of the panel opposite that to which said topclosure panel is joined, said said second top panel being adapted to befolded adjacent the top edges of said wall panels to provide anadditional closure for said container when it is filled with discardedimplements.
 11. A container according to claim 10, wherein said secondtop member is slightly longer than the width of said container to ensurethat the entire top of the container is closed by said second top panel.12. A container according to claims 1, 2, or 3, which is made from asingle sheet of flexible material.
 13. A container according to claim 5,which is made from a single sheet of flexible material.
 14. A containeraccording to claim 10, wherein said container is adapted to be shippedin a substantially flat configuration but can be assembled withoutrequiring glue, tape, staples or other bonding or fastening means.
 15. Acontainer according to claim 11, wherein said container is adapted to beshipped in a substantially flat configuration but can be assembledwithout requiring glue, tape, staples or other bonding or fasteningmeans.
 16. A container according to claim 1, which further includes atop tab member joined to each wall panel adjacent the hinged joinder ofsaid top closure panel, at top edges thereof, said top tab membersadapted to act as a guide means for opening and closing of said topclosure panel and to help substantially close off the top of saidcontainer.
 17. A container according to claim 16, wherein said top tabmembers are pivotally connected to the top edge portions of theircorresponding wall panels in such manner as to help bias said topclosure panel towards its closed configuration.
 18. A containeraccording to claim 3, wherein said top tab members are pivotallyconnected to the top edge portions of their corresponding side wallpanels in such manner as to help bias said top closure panel towards itsclosed configurations.
 19. An integral blank for forming a container tosafely store potentially injurious implements such as scalpel blades,hypodermic needles, etc., said blank having a series of score linesadapted to form, when assembled into said container, oppositely disposedfront and back wall panels spaced apart by oppositely disposed side wallpanels to define a box-like enclosure with a bottom wall member joinedto one of said wall panels along its bottom edge, the width of said toppanel member being at least slightly greater than the correspondingdepth of the container when assembled, as measured between said one wallpanel and its opposite wall panel, a pair of top tab members joinedalong the wall panels adjacent said one wall panel to which said topclosure panel is joined, a single door-like top panel member joined toone of said wall panels along its top edge, such that when said blank isassembled into said container, said top tab members are folded into thecontainer and said top panel is folded more than 90° to project into thecontainer and reside between said top tab members with its distal endedge substantially adjacent the one wall panel opposite the wall panelto which said top panel is attached to form a trough-like recess forinitially receiving implements to be stored in said container, said toppanel being resiliently biased to its closed configuration substantiallyby reason of the more than 90° folding.
 20. A blank according to claim19, wherein said top panel is hingedly joined to one of said front andback wall panels and wherein said bottom member is joined to one of saidfront and back wall panels.
 21. A blank according to claim 20 assembledinto a box-like container with said top panel member extending angularlyinwardly thereinto.
 22. A container according to claim 3, wherein saidtop closure panel is tapered along its side edges from its hingedjoinder to its distal edge.
 23. A container according to claim 22,wherein each tapered side edge of said closure panel member includes astep-like indentation along its extent and wherein each said top tabmember includes a notch-like cut-out positioned and proportioned toreceive its adjacent tapered side edge of said top closure panel up toits said step-like indentation.
 24. A container according to claim 23,wherein each said notch-like cut-out forms a stop edge which can limitupward travel of said top closure panel and a clearance edge whichintersects said stop edge and provides clearance to receive its adjacenttapered side edge of said top closure panel up to its step-likeindentation.